//------------------------------// // The Hummingbird Method // Story: Twily's Back // by Rough_Draft //------------------------------// Eleven – The Hummingbird Method “Oh, dear. I-I don’t think I can do this.” “It’s okay,” Fluttershy replied. “You’ll be fine.” “But it’s so high!” Twilight’s legs shivered as she stared down at the streets of Canterlot. “Don’t think of it like that. Think of it like…” Fluttershy frowned. “Um, like… like a magic spell! You’re learning a spell called Flight!” Twilight Sparkle glanced back at her wings. Her feathers were ruffling in the strong breeze. At this altitude, she knew she’d be safe. There were plenty of clouds to break her fall and she could always trust on Fluttershy with her life. But that was all in her mind. Her body and her heart were telling her that this was incredibly dangerous and she was going to fall no matter what. “Just remember the Hummingbird Method,” said Fluttershy. She flapped her wings and hovered off the edge of the roof, just out of Twilight’s reach. As she spoke, her wings beat at a soft but rapid pace. The pegasus drifted back and forth along a gentle air current, smiling contently. “H-Hummingbird Method, right.” Twilight swallowed and stretched out her wings. “It’s nothing, Twilight. Just a little flying.” She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Without giving herself another chance to think it over, she took a running leap from the edge of the roof and let her wings do the rest. “Twilight, not so hard!” When she opened her eyes, Twilight gasped. Her wings were flapping sporadically, turning what was supposed to be a graceful flight path into a sudden nosedive. She put her hooves out and trying to pull up, but her momentum was too strong. “Shoot, shoot, shoot!” Twilight kept her wings out and tried to catch an air current to glide on, but gravity was working against her. “Fluttershy, help—!” Her cry was cut short as she landed chest-first on a thick white cloud. Woozily, Twilight turned her head to the left and saw Fluttershy pushing the cloud with her hooves. “Goodness, that was close!” the pegasus exclaimed. “Did you hurt anything?” “Uh, no. No, I’m fine.” Twilight panted and rolled onto her side, tucking her wings in as she did. “I don’t know what went wrong. I didn’t have this much trouble when you and Rainbow Dash taught me the first time.” Fluttershy let go of the cloud and settled on top next to Twilight. “You’re probably just nervous. I’d be scared, too, if I had to learn how to fly all over again.” “But you’re great at flying, Fluttershy.” Her friend blushed. “You really think so?” “You’re easily one of the best fliers in Equestria, even if you don’t always show it.” “Oh, I’m nothing special—” “Yes, you are.” Twilight frowned as her wings began to beat softly. Just like a hummingbird. “Is that supposed to happen by itself?” Carefully, Twilight got onto her hooves and took another deep breath. She let her wings carry her just off the surface of the cloud. Fluttershy watched her with a proud smile. “See? I knew you could do it!” It was all a matter of confidence, Twilight guessed. The moment she expressed her confidence in Fluttershy as a flier and flight instructor, she forgot all her fears and followed the day’s lesson. And that went a long way to explaining Rainbow Dash. For a pony with so much ego, she had to be good enough to match her words to her actions, or nopony would ever take her seriously. Time to experiment. While staying in top of Fluttershy’s “safety cloud,” Twilight pulled her hind legs in and performed a quick aerial somersault. Then she tried a backflip, though she almost missed and crashed muzzle-first into the cloud. Fluttershy giggled and went into her own quiet maneuvers. But at least nothing hurt. No more tension, no more fear. Just the joy of flying on a bright winter morning. After another hour in the air, Twilight and Fluttershy landed on the balcony of their apartment. Heading inside, they heard hushed voices and silverware being moved. “Here she comes!” a low male voice whispered. Almost sounded like Spike. Twilight paused when she reached the doorway to the living room. She turned to Fluttershy and waved her in with her hoof. “After you.” “But it’s your party, Twilight. You should go first.” “I insist.” “Oh…” Fluttershy shrank back into her mane. “But I don’t like being the center of attention.” “It’s okay. I’ll be right behind you.” “Well, okay…” When Fluttershy trotted inside, Twilight giggled when she heard everypony cheer, “Happy birthday, Twi—!” Their voices dropped awkwardly when they saw who it was, though she heard Pinkie Pie call out, “Surprise!” “Pinkie,” said Time Turner, “we’re supposed to be surprising Twilight.” “I know, but instead we got surprised by Fluttershy!” She blew a party horn and added, “So it’s still a surprise!” “How’s this for a surprise?” Twilight called out. She began to flap her wings softly like a hummingbird and flew into the room, savoring the shocked expression on her parents’ faces. Spike pumped his fists. “That’s so cool, Twilight!” “Well, Princess, your progress is coming along nicely,” said Time Turner. Sitting beside him was the circadian hourglass; the white sands within were pouring just a little faster than the day before. “By my count, you’re more than halfway done to being back to normal.” “We’re so proud of you,” said Velvet. “Seems like only yesterday you were still learning how to levitate Spike.” Twilight blushed. “Mom, I’m not a foal anymore. You don’t need to bring up that now.” Nightlight laughed and accepted the slice of cake that Pinkie Pie was serving him. “Oh, really? Or what about the day you had your entrance exam to Princess Celestia’s school?” “That wasn’t my fault—” “I was a cactus, Twily.” The unicorn frowned severely. “You don’t forget the day your daughter turns you into a potted cactus with raw magic.” “But everything turned out okay!” “And now I can’t stop shaking whenever I see a cactus.” “Ooh, ooh! Did you at least have pretty flowers?” Pinkie Pie asked, bouncing up and down. Nightlight stared at her. “No. No, I did not.” “Aww, too bad!” Clearing his throat, Time Turner stood up and walked over to the birthday cake on the table. “Now then, Twilight. There’s just one more thing we have to do to make you end up as a full princess and an adult pony.” “What’s that?” He grinned. “Set up your first date, of course. And then your coronation.” “What?” Twilight backed up, almost knocking over Spike and Fluttershy. “What?!” “Well, first dates are an important occasion in a young pony’s life cycle, and as Princess, your coronation should fix your timeline altogether—” She stopped him by planting her hoof into his mouth. Then she turned and raced out of the room, her tail and her wings twitching terribly. And to think, she’d been having such a lovely day.